Rating: 
Summary: Fast, bloody and out of control, it's still a letdown.
Review: Best described as a martial arts blood opera, "Kill Bill" is also a manifestation of director Quentin Tarantino's id - its exuberance, its showmanship and ultimately, yes, its shallowness. So disappointed with his last film, the criminally underrated "Jackie Brown," that he took six years to make another, Tarantino dug far into his "bag," as he likes to call it, plucking out a iconic, boring heroine (Uma Thurman) and trapping her in a bright, messy samurai flick so immense that it had to be split into two volumes. Yet "Kill Bill" is a step back for the most prominent writer/director of the 1990s. While technically daring for all its cartoonish blood and political incorrectness, it's much like the juvenile way rapper Eminem is daring. Both have indisputable talent, particularly as writers, but they poke stale, immature fun, as they're beholden to crappy, recycled coolness, and an insatiable desire to be liked by kids who enjoy the comfy childhood they didn't have. The movie is fixated on violence as an art form, and the various ways blood can spurt out of one's freshly cut stump. Why Tarantino is copping to this lowest common denominator like he's Michael Bay is a question only he could answer. "Vol. 1" opens with a close-up of Thurman beaten and shot by a man named Bill, and left for dead on her wedding day, while the bridal party, including the groom, is strewn around her lifeless in the chapel. Thurman, know only as "The Bride" - her name is bleeped out for effect, to be revealed in "Vol. 2" - is comatose for four years; she awakens to find herself being raped by a trucker, and without the baby she carried on her wedding day. Though Tarantino inventively - yet predictably - shakes up the narrative, the Bride's mission is simple. Kill Bill, and the four assassins that helped him massacre her wedding party: Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu), Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah) and Bill's brother Budd (Michael Madsen, saved for the next movie). The revenge against Vernita, now a housewife, and O-Ren, who has vanquished rivals to become the boss of Tokyo's organized crime, is the story of "Vol.1." Kung-fu vet Sonny Chiba also plays a large role in the middle of the film as Hattori Hanzo, retired sword maker whose steel is otherworldly. In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine, Tarantino vowed to take action scenes up a notch - he equated his work with Francis Ford Coppola's incredible "Flight of the Valkyries" sequence in "Apocalypse Now." These fights, which include guns, swords, knives, fists and a ball and chain are intricate, and have no shortage of blood, but they are not as impressive as anything in "The Matrix Reloaded" or "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and, with a 70s chukka-wukka soundtrack blaring over the action, they are too daffy to be compared to Coppola's Vietnam movie. Tarantino's "showstopper," a 45-minute bloodfest that culminates in the Bride/O-Ren showdown, works brilliantly for a stretch, as the Bride battles O-Ren's schoolgirl bodyguard, Go Go Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama) - she has the ball and chain - and then about one hundred samurai swordsmen in the middle of a two-story nightclub. But it settles into an endless parade of lost limbs and severed heads. And apparently Liu, who's a bit cold as O-Ren, can't swordfight a lick: Her fight against Thurman is rapidly over and presented in wide shot. Across four films, it's the first absolute letdown of Tarantino's career. And what had set him apart - sharp, hip dialogue - is basically wiped out of the picture in favor of monochromatic speeches and platitudes that pay homage to old Hong Kong kung-fu flicks. The movie's most inspired sequence, in fact, is its only fierce break from that homage: a powerful, beautiful work of Japanese anime that charts the childhood of the Bride's first nemesis, O-Ren, lending more depth the enemy than the entire movie invests in Thurman's character. The subject matter of "Kill Bill" is certainly pulpy and darkly funny, and Tarantino, with the chukka-wukka soundtrack and sight gags wants the movie to be entertaining. And it is.
But visionary it is not. Nor is it revolutionary or substantial, despite the sad, dire nature of the Bride's quest. Because of her size and voice, Thurman is a fine vessel for this material, but she's too locked in Tarantino's tightly drawn, kung-fu universe boundaries. There is a distance between her and the audience, understandable given her circumstances, but it's hard to root for such a dour girl. A lot of this performance is doing, and Thurman is a well-engineered vehicle, lithe and acrobatic; so much so, in fact, that she overwhelms her competition. "Kill Bill" is not so much suspenseful as it is inevitable. Tarantino will always have his cult legion of admirers, and, judging by the virtuosity of this volume, "Kill Bill Vol. 2" could be more impressive. But the director is one film away from becoming Brian DePalma, who lets us know just how many films he's seen while he erects his sterile obelisk in the corner. The best filmmakers - Scorsese, Spielberg, P.T. Anderson, Altman - consistently hammer away at new subjects while keeping in mind their individual styles. Tarantino might have boosted his ego with the goony fans he should have left behind, but his resume is not really any richer.
Rating: 
Summary: Tarantino is back with a vengeance!!!
Review: Finally here it is! Part 1 of the movie film buffs have been salivating for for the past six years. KILL BILL sees Tarantino return to the multiplexes with a vengeance; and if you thought RESERVOIR DOGS was bloody, then baby! You ain't seen NUTHIN' yet!
KILL BILL VOLUME 1 sees Tarantino reuniting with Uma Thurman; who gives what is almost inarguably the finest performance of her career to date. Thurman plays The Bride, a professional assassin who is targeted for extermination on her wedding day by her boss Bill (David Carradine- who of course starred in the '70s TV series KUNG FU). Obviously she survives & in the tried and true tradition of kung-fu flicks sets out to wreck (extremely) bloody vengeance on members of The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, the organisation that once employed her, saving Bill for last.
Many will be sickened by the graphic violence in this: the scene where The Bride is tortured early on actually made my stomach queasy & there is also a scene where a hospital orderly is taking money from some lowlife to (almost) rape the comatose bride, a scene that I found rather sick, but the impact lessened the second time I saw the scene (I had to attend the film twice because the theater got the reels mixed up after the 1st hour)& actually it's one of many standouts in the film.
Though some could dismiss Tarantino as a guy who just makes crude, grapically violent films inspired by the B movies he saw as a kid; there's really no denying the man has genuine talent. KILL BILL VOL 1 sees him employing almost every cinematic technique you can imagine: from split screen format to an over-the-top hentai animation sequence, which is very cool indeed.
In my humble opinion, KILL BILL VOLUME 1 is a masterpiece. The film manages to bridge the gap between contemporary & pop art & the kung-fu/revenge/exploitation genres to create an unparalleled adrenalin rush. This is easily Tarantino's best work since PULP FICTION, though don't hold your breath waiting for the Academy to acknowledge that.
As usual the cast list is interesting: Lucy Liu, the legendary Sonny Chiba, Daryl Hannah (as an eyepatch wearing assassin who looks VERY sexy in her nurse's outfit), Michael Madsen & more...
Not surprisingly the P.C police in NZ have again been calling for the Chief Censor's head for letting this through- which shows what a pathetic lot NZ has in positions of power. Minority rules. My advice to these people is to get a life & stop forcing their views upon others. I hope to see MANY more films like this. As long as the movies have an age restriction & there's a note about the content the adults should be allowed to choose what they watch. I encourage Kiwis to go see KBV1 & make it a reasonable sized hit. The state should NEVER be allowed to own your mind or body- especially in a country where the PM is allowed to get away with signing a painting she didn't do, & where the public is seldom consulted in the passing of legislation that affects everyone: I've got David Benson-Dope to do that for me!
So go see KILL BILL, support the censors, indulge your right as an adult to free choice: the right to form your individual opinion, the right to freedom of artistic expression in all its mediums, the right to quash fundamentalist "watchdog groups" who "know" whats best for YOU & ME, & stop NZ from becoming the next Socialist Republic as the result Helen Clark's Half-Assed Hidden Agenda. I'll get off my pedestal now. Thank you for bearing with me.
P.S: And the right to burn the NZ flag if you wish. [Parting cheap shot courtesy of Vidiot_Y2k.]
Rating:
Summary: It's Terrific
Review: I hate violent films..but this one is different...so very different.While viewing it I couldn't decide what I liked best about it. Story line, editing, photography, color,casting, techniques, originality? Loved them all, but most of all the selection of music scoring the various scenes and moods. The best ever. And a scene with soft, gentle snow, falling onto a beautiful Winter Wonerland scene, curtaining a duel of death. You laughed and you shuttered, gasped and grinned, over and over again. It was terrific.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing-- I can't wait for VOL 2
Review: This movie was amazing. The music, the diologue, the action, everything. It is Quentin Tarrentino at his best. There is an amazing animated sequence which is fantastic. However, this movie is not for everyone. It is violent, but most of the violence is so over the top (as it is intended) that it is comical. This is one of the best movies this year. It is well worth the $9. There is just one flaw, not enought Bill (David Carradine). But I'm sure we will see more of him in Vol 2. The movie takes hold of you from the opening sequence until the end and it leaves you wanting more. Go see it you will be amazed by what Tarrentino has accomplished.
Rating:
Summary: Tarantino returns 6 years later only to play catch up.
Review: This movie must have sounded really orignal back when Uma and Quentin first brain farted the idea for a revenge flick Samurai style movie. Think about it, a Kung Fu style flick with wire-fu, samurai swords, tons of butt kicking, and one man against 100 type of fights. Pure Genius. Quentin sat on this idea for six years. Mean while.
The Matrix introduces anime style violence and kung fu to American movie screens. Where it has been repeatedly copied by almost every other film since it's release. Movies like Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and the Animatrix bring Anime to the main stream. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon brings traditional style kung fun to the screen with ellegance and depth. With wire-fu and samurai swords swinging all about. And it gets the Oscar to back it up. Jackie Chan and Jet Li hit it big at the box office with such hits as Romeo Must Die and Rush Hour. Where traditional kung fu meets modern scenarios. So it's now 2003 and Quentin gets together to make Kill Bill an totally original concept about bringing Kung Fu to the main stream. All right by now it's not very original at all. But at least it has the anime twist...no wait thats been done also. But he has that fight where Uma goes against 88 people..no wait The Matrix Reloaded beat him to that too. So what possible angle could he have done that wasn't done before? Ah yes the violence. THIS ONE will be ultra violent. Ok. Mission Accomplished. Where's the substance to back up the blood spills? Where's the context that makes any of this movie important? Wheres the dialogue and plot development that makes this no brainer action flick stand out from everything else? Gone. So instead of being an innovator, Quentin returns only to catch up to what Main stream American has already done to death. He's the last in a very long line and by now were all tired of the cliche's and thin plots. If he really wanted to impress me he would have turned the cliche on it's head and added depth and power to the performances. Instead we get a bland Volume 1 that truly feels like you are watching only half a movie. If you watched fellowship of the ring and turned it off after the Coucil of Elrond. Thats Kill Bill. If you watch Titanic and turn it off before the ship starts to sink. Thats Kill Bill. It doesn't match the power of every piece of the matrix trilogy or the lord of the rings trilogy. Instead it's a tired soap opera play pen where Quentin is never questioned and allowed to do anything he wants. He writes as if he has no restraint over his work and goes over budget on his movies without the slightest hint of responsibility to his bosses. The man needs some self control and focus in his work. An Editor would have made this a three hour masterpieces, instead it's cut in half because he couldn't part with one inch of film he shot. While tarantino was taking a break better directors made two even three films in that time span. Spike Lee continues to turn out almost one movie per year, the coen brothers are on their tenth film. Yet they hardly get the respect this childish director receives.
Rating: 
Summary: Tarintino does it again
Review: not as much as great as Pulp Fiction or Resevoir Dogs but a lot better than Jackie Brown id say. this one has Thurman going after Bill(David Carradine) and his viper assassination squad(Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Darly Hannah and Lucy Liu). the story goes that Bill massacered his wedding and the vipers beat the crap outta Thurman and put her into a four year coma, she wakes up and goes to Fox and kills her and then we get to see cool anime sprinkled into a bloody battle of comedy and pure adrenaline. the showdown at the chinese place is great with the girl and the spiked ball and chain, all the blood oozing and the battle with Lucy Liu with a great snowy background. there's also a great vehicle called the Pussy Wagon. a must see for Tarintino fans
Rating:
Summary: will she kill bill??
Review: you know what, that's anyone's guess. yep, i've seen it & there's more coming soon from quentin tarantino so we can thank our lucky stars. in fact, kill bill vol.2 is due in theatres sometime february 2004. can you believe that? if we were so fortunate, we could see both back to back in theatres but i don't think this will take place. for some apparent reason, sequels are starting to pop-up (or should i say released)within the same year as the originals or other entries in a group of series. well, take the matrix for example. we just saw reload in theatres back in 05/03 & the revelations are due 11/05/03. isn't that interesting? regardless of the time frame, this vol.1 is killer & i can't wait to see the 2nd entry as i think that will explain a lot of the montages which were briefly touched upon in the 1st film & provide us with an incredible closing. will uma thurman finally get her revenge & kill bill? we might not know the answer but we're rooting for her all the way, right? if anyone can open up a can of whoop azz, it's uma!!! tarantino has given us some intense eye candy which plays upon or actually plays homage to a great deal of campy '70s action flicks or kung fu films in general & he pulls it off with ease. i should mention that fans of his earlier work will be pleasantly surprised but this film is not for anyone who doesn't like pulp fiction or reservoir dogs. yes, it's bloody & xtremely violent but in an offbeat trippy way which will leave us all laughing our heads off & literally begging for seconds. no, this film may not have that much of a plot to speak of as of now nor is there a great deal of characterization but i'm sure you'll have a great time if you need that tarantino fix right now which i certainly did. i'm sure more characterization or plot will be revealed when vol.2 opens up early next year. in the meantime, we can still enjoy something rather different OR REFRESHING in the cinemas today than what we are accustomed to seeing as a general rule. kill bill features cameos by some of today's great stars & even a few old school favs. plus, the kung fu is choreographed by the same brilliant man who gave us iron money & crouching tiger. what more could you possibly want?
Rating:
Summary: The Pulp Speghetti Samuri movie.
Review: "Kill Bill" is all style over substance. The plot is that Uma Thurman is left for dead at her wedding, and then goes for revenge against those who tried to kill her, and their unseen, omni-present boss, Bill. It is flash and glitz from beginning to end, with crazy camera angles (which I loved), a quick Japanese anima vignette (which was at least fast enough not to be distracting) and a long slaughter sequence in black and white (I didn't like that part, I don't like black and white anyway). The charactors are paper thin, they seem to only exist for the sole reason of causing an action, and to react to that action. Maybe the next one will flesh them out a lot. Lucy Liu and Uma Thurman were the high light of the movie, and the psyhcotic Japanese school girl was so over the top that you had to love her. This movie is firmly rooted in the Samurai movie and the Spaghetti Western that have the same thing in common, they both usually involve revenge. My cheif complaint was the black and white sequence and the lack of depth in the charactors. But it is also wildly over the top violence in true Quentin Tarantino fashion (the gore hound in me was happy), hipper than thou dialogue, and of course, Red Apple Ciggerettes. But where was the Big Kahuna Burger?
Rating:
Summary: The most entertaining movie this year
Review: This is going to be a very rememorable work of art. I've already seen this movie three times. Yes some will be put off by the violence, the borrowing from different genres, and the overall cartooninest to the whole movie but who gives a crap. This is a very entertaining movie. I can't wait till Vol. 2 comes out.
Rating:
Summary: AN INTERESTING DAY AT THE SUSHI BAR
Review: From the beginning, this movie has Quinten stamped all over it.Hannah (although a minor bit in Vol 1), Uma, Lucy, Michael and the presence of Carradine as Bill (we ain't seen him yet!) are awesome in their parts...............and don't miss the nasty little schoolgirl Go Go....she never stop stops....well til she meets The Bride anyway!
A great ride for those who can handle the pace and see a little humor in the absurdity that can be Japanese Manga.....a real Saturday afternoon at the movies!
|
